How do I deploy RetroAssembly on Railway?

You can deploy RetroAssembly on Railway by clicking the "Deploy Now" button on this page. Railway will automatically set up all the necessary services and configurations for you.

What are the system requirements?

Railway handles all the infrastructure requirements. You only need a web browser to deploy and manage your application.

Is this template free to use?

Yes, this template is free to use within your existing Railway account.

Can I customize this template?

Yes, you can fully customize this template. After deployment, you will have full control of what you've deployed in your Railway project.

How do I get support for this template?

You can get support through our community forum: retro-assembly-2f3479a5, or click "Get template help" for this template for more assistance.

Deploy and Host RetroAssembly on Railway

retroassembly

RetroAssembly is a self-hostable, browser-based retro game library and emulator cabinet. It allows users to upload, organize, and play ROMs from dozens of classic gaming platforms directly in the browser, with save states, rewind support, metadata enrichment, and a controller-friendly interface powered by modern WebAssembly emulation.

About Hosting RetroAssembly

Hosting RetroAssembly involves deploying a TypeScript-based web application that serves a unified frontend, API layer, and emulation runtime. The application manages user authentication, ROM uploads, metadata indexing, save-state persistence, and emulator orchestration via WebAssembly. A persistent storage layer is required for ROM files and save data, along with a lightweight database for metadata and user state. While RetroAssembly can be run locally or via Docker, deploying on Railway simplifies environment configuration, networking, and scaling, allowing you to focus on managing your game library rather than infrastructure.

Common Use Cases

Self-hosting a private, browser-based retro game collection with cloud-synced saves
Running a personal or family-friendly retro gaming cabinet accessible from any device
Hosting a curated demo or exhibition library for retro games and platforms

Dependencies for RetroAssembly Hosting

A Node.js-compatible runtime for the application server
Persistent storage for ROMs, save states, and metadata

Deployment Dependencies

Nostalgist.js (WebAssembly-based emulation layer)
Docker image (optional) from: https://hub.docker.com/r/arianrhodsandlot/retroassembly

Implementation Details

RetroAssembly is configured primarily through environment variables controlling runtime behavior (ROM limits, upload concurrency, crawler access, storage paths, etc.). Railway’s environment variable management and persistent volumes make it straightforward to tune these parameters without modifying application code.

Why Deploy RetroAssembly on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying RetroAssembly on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.